(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cassette ejector in a cassette tape recorder.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
As a cassette ejector in a conventional cassette tape recorder, there is known one having such a structure as shown in FIGS. 1 through 3. That is, a cassette lid 2 is attached to a chassis 1 pivotably about a pivot shaft 3, it being urged in an opening direction by means of a spring (not shown) at all times, with a cam plate 4 having a chevron-like cam portion 4a being attached to the cassette lid 2. On the chassis 1 is mounted a head base 5 slidably in the horizontal direction, which base 5 is pulled in the right-hand direction by means of a spring 5a at all times, with a roller 6 being embedded in the leftmost end of the head base 5 and a head 7 attached to the rightmost end thereof. A cassette 8 incorporating a tape therein is inserted in the cassette lid 2 in an open condition of the lid as shown in FIG. 1. When the cassette lid 2 is rotated in a closing direction (clockwise), the cam portion 4a of the cam plate 4 abuts the roller 6 on the head base 5 and causes it to advance to the left, as shown in FIG. 2. As the cassette lid 2 is further pressed, it is locked by a locking mechanism (not shown) and the tape contacts the head 7 as shown in FIG. 3.
When the locking mechanism for the cassette lid 2 is released, the cassette lid 2 is rotated in its opening direction by virtue of the biasing force of the spring, so that the cam portion 4a is disengaged from the roller 6. Consequently, the head 7 attached to the head base 5 is moved back in the original right-hand direction by means of the spring, and the cassette lid 2 assumes its opened state shown in FIG. 1.
In the above-described conventional structure, however, when the cassette is being ejected, if the cassette lid 2 is unlocked, the cassette lid 2 will be opened before complete separation of the cassette 8 from the head 7 because the opening speed of the cassette lid 2 is much higher than the retreating speed of the head base 5, so that the cassette lid 2 is opened while the cassette 8 and the head 7 are in contact with each other or while the tape contained in the cassette 8 is hooked by, for example, a tape guide of the head 7, resulting in the tape and the head 7 or the cassette 8 being easily damaged.